Side-by-side vehicles (SSVs) are off-road vehicles used for recreation and utility purposes. SSVs generally have an open cockpit area with side-by-side seating for a driver and a passenger. In a conventional SSV, a portion of the engine and/or a fuel tank are typically disposed partly in the cockpit area which reduces the space available in the cockpit area which could otherwise be used for additional passengers or for storage of cargo. It is desirable to increase the passenger carrying capacity as well as the cargo storage capacity of these vehicles without significantly adding to the size and/or weight of the vehicle.